The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus such as copying machines, printers, and plotters.
As an output apparatus for computers and workstations, there are known ink-jet type image-forming apparatuses which form an image by ejecting an ink on a recording sheet, and electrophotography type image-forming apparatuses which form an image with a developer on a recording sheet. Such an image-forming apparatus has an image formation unit for forming an image. Usually, the image-forming apparatus has a sheet feeder unit which feeds a recording sheet to the image formation unit, and a sheet discharge unit equipped opposite to the sheet feed unit with interposition of the image formation unit. Thereby, a recording sheet delivery path is formed for delivering the recording sheet from the sheet feed unit to the sheet discharge unit.
Some image-forming apparatuses are of a two-separation type (so-called clamshell type) which is separable into an upper main body portion and a lower main body portion around a turning axis at the one end side (rear side of the main body) across the recording sheet delivery path to be openable from the side opposite to the turning axis (front side of the main body). The clamshell type image-forming apparatus is designed to be openable widely to expose the recording sheet delivery path, whereby the user can readily deal with sheet clogging (jamming).
Of the above clamshell type of image-forming apparatuses, an electrophotography type one has an optical system and a photosensitive drum in the upper main body portion, and has a cassette tray and a fixation unit in the lower main body portion. The lower main body portion is set unmovably, and the openable upper main body portion is constituted to be capable of being pushed up from the front side by a damper charged with air or a like matter.
Some of the aforementioned type of the image-forming apparatuses have a manual sheet feeding unit having a manual feeder tray in the lower main body portion. The manual feeder tray, which is usually rectangular in shape, is hinged turnably at a first side edge to the side wall of the lower main body, and a second side edge opposite thereto is turnable around the first side edge as the tuning axis. The manual feeder tray is foldable to come to be in close contact with the side walls of both the lower main body and the upper main body. The folded manual feeder tray is energized inward to the side wall by a spring or the like not to leave the side walls by its own gravity when it is not used. The manual feeder tray, when it is used, is opened by pulling out the second side edge around the first side edge as the turning axis.
The sheet discharge unit has usually a discharged-sheet tray for holding image-carrying discharged sheets. This discharged-sheet tray can holds various size of recording sheets, from a small size sheet to a large size sheet. The large sheet size herein means an A3 size or a B4 size, and the small size means a calling card size or a postcard size. A discharged-sheet tray is known which is folded up into the main body wall when the image is formed on a recording sheet of a small size or the image forming-apparatus is not used.
Many image-forming apparatuses have a flat side face having a depression formed on a part of the side walls of the upper and lower main bodies for fitting the manual feeder tray. The depth of the depression is approximate to the thickness of the manual feeder tray for compactness of the image-forming apparatus.
However, with such an insufficient depth of the depression, a part of the folded manual feeder tray may come to be inclined into the main body when the upper main body portion is opened. In this state, if the upper main body portion is brought down to close, the part of the manual feeder tray can be broken by collision against the upper main body portion owing to dimensional variations of the manual feeder tray or variation in the assemblage thereof. Such a damage may occur with the discharged-sheet tray.
Under the aforementioned circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide an image-forming apparatus which does not cause damage of a manual feeder tray or a discharged-sheet tray regardless of a dimensional variation in parts of the manual feeder tray or of the discharged-sheet tray or in assemblage thereof, when the upper main body portion is opened or closed.
A first embodiment of the image-forming apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object has a recording sheet-delivery path for delivering a recording sheet from a sheet feed unit to a sheet discharge unit in an opposite side; and is separable into two portions of an upper main body portion and a lower main body portion by opening an opener assembly from one side edge of the upper main body portion around a turning axis provided at the other side edge thereof across the recording sheet delivery path,
the image-forming apparatus comprising:
a nearly rectangular manual sheet feeder tray having
(1) a first edge portion extending in a direction crossing the recording sheet delivery path, and being hinged turnably to the lower main body portion at the side of the sheet feed unit, and
(2) a second edge portion being positioned near a space between the upper main body portion pushed up by the opener assembly and the lower main body portion on a sheet feed unit side and extending at the side opposite to the first edge portion and in the crossing direction,
(3) the manual sheet feeder tray being positioned selectively for a working mode by bringing down the second edge portion by turning around the first edge portion, or for a non-working mode by turning up the second edge portion around the first edge portion as the turning axis to be fixed; and
(4) the manual sheet feeder tray overlapping a part of a side wall of the upper main body portion to be in contact therewith in the non-working mode irrespective of the opener assembly being open or close.
A second embodiment of the image-forming apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object has a recording sheet-delivery path for delivering a recording sheet from a sheet feed unit to a sheet discharge unit in an opposite side; and is separable into two portions of an upper main body portion and a lower main body portion by opening an opener assembly from one side edge of the upper main body portion around a turning axis provided at the other side edge thereof across the recording sheet delivery path,
the image-forming apparatus comprising:
a nearly rectangular manual sheet feeder tray having
(5) a first edge portion extending in a direction crossing to the recording sheet delivery path, and being hinged turnably to the lower main body portion at the side of the sheet feed unit, and
(6) a second edge portion being positioned near a space between the upper main body portion pushed up by the opener assembly and the lower main body portion on a sheet feed unit side and extending at the side opposite to the first edge portion and in the crossing direction,
(7) the manual sheet feeder tray being positioned selectively for a working mode by bringing down the second edge portion by turning around the first edge portion, or for a non-working mode by turning up the second edge portion around the first edge portion as the turning axis to be fixed; and
(8) comprising a guide member for guiding the manual sheet feeder tray temporarily outside the upper main body portion in dosing the upper main body portion from an open state to prevent contact of the manual sheet feeder tray with the upper main body portion.
A third embodiment of the image-forming apparatus of the present invention for achieving the object of the present invention has a recording sheet-delivery path for delivering a recording sheet from a sheet feed unit to a sheet discharge unit in an opposite side; and is separable into two portions of an upper main body portion and a lower main body portion by opening an opener assembly from one side edge of the upper main body portion around a turning axis provided at the other side edge thereof across the recording sheet delivery path,
the image-forming apparatus comprising:
a discharged-sheet tray having
(9) a first edge portion extending in a direction crossing the recording sheet delivery path, and being hinged turnably to the lower main body portion at the side of the sheet discharge unit, and
(10) a second edge portion being positioned near a space between the upper main body portion pushed up by the opener assembly and the lower main body portion on a sheet feed unit side and extending at the side opposite to the first edge portion and in the crossing direction,
(11) the discharged-sheet tray being positioned selectively for a working mode by bringing down the second edge portion by turning around the first edge portion, or for a non-working mode by turning up the second edge portion around the first edge portion as the turning axis to be fixed, and
(12) the discharged-sheet tray overlapping a part of a side wall of the upper main body portion to be in contact therewith in the non-working mode irrespective of the opener assembly being open or close.
A fourth embodiment of the image-forming apparatus of the present invention for achieving the object of the present invention has a recording sheet-delivery path for delivering a recording sheet from a sheet feed unit to a sheet discharge unit in an opposite side; and is separable into two portions of an upper main body portion and a lower main body portion by opening an opening assembly from one side edge of the upper main body portion around a turning axis provided at the other side edge thereof across the recording sheet delivery path,
the image-forming apparatus comprising:
a discharged-sheet tray having
(13) a first edge portion extending in a direction crossing the recording sheet delivery path, and being hinged turnably to the lower main body portion at the side of the sheet discharge unit, and
(14) a second edge portion being positioned near a space between the upper main body portion pushed up by the opener assembly and the lower main body portion on a sheet feed unit side and extending at the side opposite to the first edge portion and in the crossing direction,
(15) the discharged-sheet tray being positioned selectively for a working mode by bringing down the second edge portion by turning around the first edge portion, or for a non-working mode by turning up the second edge portion around the first edge portion as the turning axis to be fixed; and
(16) comprising a guide member for guiding the discharged-sheet tray temporarily outside the upper main body portion in closing the upper main body portion from an open state to prevent contact of the discharged-sheet tray with the upper main body portion.